I spent yesterday doing wash and packing to go to my sister’s for the storm. If we lose power, she and Kevin have a fireplace, a gas stove and a grill, so I’ll be better off there than at my place. I know Kevin Tipple is in the Dallas area, so he may be without power. However, he sent me review to use. Thanks, Kevin for reviewing Illusion of Truth by James L’Etoile.
The third book of the police procedural series that began with The Face of Greed delivers in every possible way for the reader. Illusion of Truth: A Novel begins a few months after River of Lies and starts with a bang.
The call out to a local church was a ploy to get police officers to respond. Allegedly, according to the caller to dispatch, there was some sort of disturbance involving a large crowd looting a church in North Sacramento. The church is located on the edge of the territory held by a certain gang though the church itself is supposed to be neutral territory and safe from all the gangs. For the several officers that responded to the scene, the place was anything but safe. Within minutes of their arrival, two separate improvised explosive devices are detonated.
Several officers are seriously injured in the blasts. That includes Sergent Brian Connor who recently asked Homicide Detective Emily Hunter to move in with him. She said she wasn’t ready. With his injuries now, she may never have the chance to change her mind.
Homicide Detective Emily Hunter is very used to getting the middle of the night call to go to a crime scene. This time the call is from a lieutenant who tells her to respond instead at the hospital. It was supposed to be his night off. Instead, Brian Connor is fighting for his life in the trauma unit.
Detective Hunter wants in on the investigation. One that is being led by her partner, Javier Medina. Not that he is not a good detective. He certainly is. But, she can’t just sit by. She is going to be involved, no matter what. Since that will happen anyway, her Lieutenant gives her the go ahead to work the case, but she has to follow Medina’s lead to the letter or she is benched. She agrees. Before long the case leads them in ways they never saw coming.
This third book in the police procedural series published by Oceanview Publishing is a good one. A read that could stand on its own if you are new to the series. But, those who choose to read the series in order will get far more out of the book.
One aspect of this series is the developing relationship between Hunter and Connor. So too is the evolving political scene as well as the fallout from earlier cases Hunter has worked. There are other aspects as well that continue to be developed and evolve. Those aspects are why this is a series that should be read in order.
Bottom Line—A very good read and strongly recommended.
My digital ARC came from the author with no expectation of a read or a review.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2026
Thanks, Kevin! Time to get his #1 and start the series. Another for the TBR list.
Thank you for your review, I will check out the series.
Thanks so very much, Kevin. Appreciate sharing this review of Illusion of Truth. Stay safe and warm my friend!
I am excited to hear about the series and will be checking it out. Thanks, Kevin! I hope you still have power.
Thank you, Lesa, for having me back, and thank you everyone for reading and commenting. Very much like the series.
As to weather, approaching the noon hour and we still do have power. VERY glad about that. We were supposed top get around six hours of freezing rain from midnight Friday night to just before dawn or so Saturday morning. Instead, according to the local weather folks, we got less than an hour of that as a little after midnight we dropped over ten degrees in an hour. So, it got way colder faster and we ended up having it transition to sleet.
It sleeted pretty much all day yesterday and much of last night. Right now we have periods of sun, then clouds and flurries. Another wave is in far West Texas headed inbound though it does not look like it will do much.
I am disabled and on a cane, so the most I have ventured out is on the cold and clear porch. Unlike what normally happens, the backside of my house and all including the back porch is covered in ice, but the front side which faces north is somehow clear of ice. So, I can stand out there and look at the white crap. I think we got at least two inches, maybe more. Grass is buried as is the street and cars.
Kevin, Thank you for the update. I always worry. We had about 14 inches of snow, fortunately, only snow. Temperatures are supposed to drop this week, with a -2 one day.